Holder for letters



(No Model.)

D. A. SMITH. HOLDER FOR LETTERS. PAPERS, GARDS, &c.

No. 408,541. Patented Aug. 6, 1889.

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PATENT DANlEL A. SMITH, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

HOLDER FOR LETTERS, PAPERS, CARDS, 8w.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 408,541, dated August 6, 1889.

Application filed April 26, 1889. Serial No. 308,761. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern."

Be it known that I, DANIEL A. SMITH, of Boston, Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Holders for Letters, Papers, Cards, 850., of which the followingis a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part thereof.

My invention relates to devices for temporarily holding letters, papers, cards, and similar articles in such manner that said articles can be quickly inserted within the holder and as quickly withdrawn therefrom; and it has for its object to provide a device of this nature which will be so con structed as to greatly facilitate the insertion of the letters, papers, &c., therein "and their removal therefrom, which will securely hold such articles when the latter are placed therein, which will combine great strength with an ornamental appearance, and which can be manufactured at a minimum cost.

To these ends my invention consists in the holder constructed and operating as hereinafter fully described, an d particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, in which like parts'are designated by like letters in the several figures, Figure 1 is a front view of the holder removed from the back or base. Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the holder and its base, taken upon,

line as x of Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a front view of the holder mounted u'ponits back or base.

The letter A designates the holder proper, and B the back or base to which it is preferably secured.

I prefer to form the holder from a single piece of wire, as shown in Fig. 1, said wire being bent to form the substantially oval center piece a, loops a at the bottom of the holder, coils a and the substantially horseshoe-shaped bow of, the latter being bent at the top to form the flaring lip a. The two ends of the wire preferably project above the top of bow a as shown, to facilitate the attachment of theholder to base B or other support, and may be bent at a right angle at their extreme ends to enter said support, as shown in Fig. 3, if desired. The loops at at the bottom serve as .means for securing the holder to its support at the lower end thereof,

while coils a serve to normally hold bow a against the support with a considerable degree of pressure.

' By making bow to of the shape shownInot only give the holder an ornamental and pleasing appearance, but said bow also forms a bearing-surface of extended area to securely bind the articles placed in the holder against the center piece a. By providing said bow with the outwardly-flaringlip d moreover, an open mouth to receive the letters, &c., is formed, and the latter can be placed in the holder by simply inserting their lower edge in said mouth'and pressing them downwardly between the bow and center piece, thereby rendering it unnecessary to use both hands in such operation. The center piece a enables the bow to take a more secure grip on the articles placed in the holder, as it deflects the central portion of said articles outwardly slightly beyond the ends thereof, while said ends are held down by the two sides of the bow.

It is obvious that the holder thus constructed can be secured to the wall, the side of a desk, or to any suitable support; butI prefer to secure it to aback or base B, which may be made from wood, celluloid, or other rigid material, and may be of any desired shape. As shown, the base B is rectangular in shape, and is provided with a hole I), by which it can be suspended from a nail or hook. I prefer to secure the holder to said base by means of a plate or casting b, which, as shown, is made in the shape of a star, but which may be of any shape which the fancy may dictate. Said plate rests flush upon the base, as shown in Fig. 3, and has within its inner surface recesses to receive the loops a of the holder,

and is provided upon said inner side with two or more spurs or studs 11*, which enter said loops and thus prevent upward movement of the holder. The plate I) is preferably held to the base by means of a single screw b passing centrally therethrough into the base, as shown. Said plate thus not only serves to securely fasten the holder to the base, but also conceals the lower end of the holder from sight and adds greatly to the ornamental appearance of the device as a whole. plate of pleasing shape, as shown at b, will preferably be employed to cover the ends of Another the wire from. which the holder is formed, and when said plate is used the ends of said wire need not enter the base, as the plate will securely hold said ends in position. \Yhen thus mounted upon its base,the holder is adapted to be hung in any desired position for use, its operation being as previously described.

Instead of making the center piece a from the wire itself, as before described, any suitable projection from the base can be utilized, as shown, for example, by broken lines in Fig. 4, which projection will perform the same function; but I prefer to utilize the first-dcscribed construction, as I find that the converging upper end of said center piece, when formed from the wire, also serves to prevent the letters or other articles from working upwardly out of the holder when one or more of said articles are removed from the holder.

The holding capacity of the holder can be increased, when desired, by bending the sides of the loops a, carrying the coils a outwardly a slight distance, so that the lower end of bow a will stand out from the base.

By utilizing a plate to hold the holder to its base, I materially prolong the life of the holder, since to make such connection by causing the wire to enter the base at the lower end of the holder, as has been customary in this class of devices, brings such a strain upon the wire as to cause it to break in a short time, or else to become loosened in the base to such an extent as to render the holder practically inoperative. By using said plate, on the contrary, a perfectly tight connection between the base and holderis maintained at all times, and no portion of the wire is subjected to undue strain.

It will be obvious that the holder could be inverted from the position shown in Fig. 4, with its receiving end at the bottom instead of at the top, and still perform its function; but for holding letters, cards, and other small articles I prefer to use it in the position shown. By making the holder from a continuous piece of wire I lessen its liability to get out of order, and enable it to be manufactured very expeditiously and cheaply.

O11 railroads it is customary to intrust to the baggage-master orders and other communications to be delivered to cmploys at the different stations at which the train stops, and the device herein described is especially adapted for use in this connection, as it can be fastened near one of the doors of the car, where the letters can be conveniently taken therefrom, while the combined action of the bow and center piece insures the safe holding of the articles placed therein. The open nature of theholder, moreover, enables the addresses on the letters to be easily read.

The device is also adapted for ofiice use generally.

I do not wish to limit myself to the exact shape of the several parts of the holder herein shown, as it is obvious that modifications therein can be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The holder for letters, papers, cards, &e., herein described, comprising a substantially horseshoe-shaped bow, of wire, terminating at or near one end in spring-coils and at its opposite or receiving end in an upwardly and outwardly flaring lip, to facilitate the insertion of articles within the holder, in combination with means for securing said holder to a suitable support, substantially as set forth.

2. In a holder for letters, papers, cards, &c., a base or support, a bow, formed from wire, secured at one end to said base and having its opposite end held against said base by springpressure, and a center piece projecting from said base between the two sides of said bow, combined and operating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a holder for letters, papers, cards, &c., a base or support, a bow, of wire, bent at one end to form an outwardly-flaring lip and being bent near its opposite end into springcoils, whose axis is parallel with the face of said base, and an independent plate for securing the end of said bow opposite to said lip to said base, said plate having a screw passing therethrough into the base, combined and operating substantially as described.

4. The holder for letters, papers, cards, &c., herein described, consisting of center piece a, loops at, coils a and bow a, formed from a continuous piece of wire, substantially as described.

5. In a holder of the kind described, base 13, bow a having lip a and having coils a and loops a made integrally therewith, and plate 1), covering said loops and having a portion thereof projecting within the latter, substantially as described.

6. In a holder of the kind described,base B, holder A, having loops at at one end thereof, plate I), having within its inner side recesses to receive said loops, and spurs 1' projecting within the latter, and a cen trally-located screw passing through said plate into said .base, combined and operating substantially as described.

7. In a holder of the kind described, the combination, with base B, of holder A, com posed of center piece a, loops (1., coils a and bow a, formed from a single piece of wire, plate 1), covering said loops to, and plate 1), covering the ends of said wire, substantially as described.

DANIEL A. SMITH.

Witnesses:

W. II. CHAPMAN, i

J. E. CHAPMAN.

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